HILO, Hawaii – After falling behind two sets to one, the Concordia University Irvine women's volleyball team battled through a five-set thriller against PacWest rival Hawai'i Hilo securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
With the big win, CUI clinched a spot in the upcoming PacWest Conference Tournament, which will be hosted in nearby Costa Mesa at Vanguard University in November.
The Green and Gold opened the match with a 25-19 victory in the first set, holding the Vulcans to a -.146 hitting percentage. Hawai'i Hilo responded by taking the next two sets, 25-16 and 25-23, to gain a 2-1 advantage.
Facing a must-win fourth set, CUI elevated its offensive performance, recording 17 kills and hitting .229 to edge the Vulcans 25-23 and force a decisive fifth frame.
The Golden Eagles carried that momentum into the final set, delivering their most efficient offensive performance of the match. CUI recorded 10 kills while hitting .280 and limited Hawai'i Hilo to a .095 hitting percentage, pulling away for a 15-9 victory to complete the comeback.
Emma Wegleitner led the Golden Eagles offensively with a team-high 16 kills while adding 16 digs for a double-double.
Freshman Livia Eyre delivered another strong all-around performance, finishing with 12 kills, a match-high three service aces, and four blocks. Kayden Croy added 10 kills and a service ace, giving the Green and Gold three players with double-digit kills.
Nevada Knowles dished out 42 assists while collecting 12 digs for a double-double of her own. Knowles helped the Golden Eagles finish with 58 kills and 52 assists while recording a .193 team hitting percentage.
Defensively, the Green and Gold made their presence known at the net, totaling 13 blocks compared to Hawai'i Hilo's three. Delaney Gregg anchored the blocking effort with a match-high eight blocks, while Sarah Guglielmana contributed five.
Halen Kiefer led CUI's back-row defense with a team-high 23 digs, two digs short of a season high as the Golden Eagles finished with 86 digs.
With the five-set comeback victory, the Golden Eagles improve to 18-5 overall and 12-3 in PacWest play.
CLICK HERE for the updated PacWest women's volleyball standings
The Green and Gold will look to carry their momentum into the final two matches of their Hawaii road trip as they take on Chaminade on Friday, Oct. 30 at 11 p.m. PT before facing Hawai'i Pacific on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 9 p.m. PT.
To see the full CUI women's volleyball schedule CLICK HERE
